


Marlboro Reds

by Skor



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: AU, Gen, Marlboros, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fill, Self Medicating, Smoking, remembering the past, the rich and the broken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:45:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1315339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skor/pseuds/Skor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"And now here Darim was under the same bunch of stars that watched the two brothers as they slept in the lazy heat of the night, many years later. Only this time, while he was awake his brother was forever asleep."</p><p>Single word Prompt fill</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marlboro Reds

    The cool breeze carried with it the scent of sawdust from the chipping mill across the river as it came in contact with the overall smell of silt and clay that polluted the waters of the Fraser River. Semi-rusting ships docked to the port creaked ever so quietly against the gentle swells of the tide. It was just after sunset on an April evening and the sky was starting to darken slowly, contrasting the flashing red lights atop the bridge above and the city on the other side.

Darim had been there for a while now taking in the view while leaning against his glossy black ’77 Trans AM. Unbothered by the cooling air and lighter in hand, he dug in his jacket pocket for his pack of Marlboro Reds. He took one out and placed it between his lip, lighting it and inhaled deeply. He never would have thought such an action would become so mundane to him. Growing up he secretly hated people that smoked; it wasn’t healthy and didn’t do too much good to their looks over time. And yet here he was, on the receiving end of that lit cylinder in search of tranquillity.

He tipped his head back, blowing the smoke out skyward and noticed above him the Big Dipper. If The Big Dipper was here then the little one shouldn’t be far and after a few seconds of searching he also had found The Little Dipper. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he recalled a memory of him and his little brother Sef as children.

_“Hey Darim?” Sef spoke out, breaking the comfortable silent._

_It was a warm summer’s night in Syria and the two of them were out on the terrace watching the stars in their cots while waiting for slumber. It was a practice many youths did in the warmer months as it was much easier to sleep outside than be coped up inside with still, stuffy air._

_“Hmm?” Darim acknowledged lazily._

_“What were they thinking when they named the stars?”_

_Darim turned his head to look at his little brother with a puzzled expression, thoroughly confused “What do you mean?”_

_“Well look,” Sef extended an arm and a finger to the sky “there’s the constellation Scorpio, right?”_

_Darim looked back to the night sky, verifying what his brother claimed “Yeah…”_

_“How on earth does_ that _look anything close to a scorpion? It’s just a string of stars as best.” Sef huffed._

_“Maybe a bunch of ancient scholars decided to get together one night and had one too many rounds of hash that they started seeing vivid pictures within the stars… or perhaps even had poisonous mushrooms… “ Sef gave Darim a look with an eyebrow raised as if to say something between ‘how are we even related?’ and ‘I’m beginning question your mentality…’_

_“What? Don’t look at me like that” Darim had spotted his little brother when he didn’t receive a response back “you know it could be true..”_

_“mmm.. they’re pretty though, the stars.” Sef mused on looking back to the sky, his eyes becoming heavy. He stiffed a yawn and shifted a bit getting ready for sleep._

_Hearing Sef yawn, Darim chuckled. “Goodnight brother.” Although it was late into the night and Sef had fallen asleep, Darim wasn’t feeling sleepy just quite yet and so he just looked skyward to the blue-red glittering stars, cherishing the night._

And now here Darim was under the same bunch of stars that watched the two brothers as they slept in the lazy heat of the night, many years later. Only this time, while he was awake his brother was forever asleep. Sef had passed quite some time ago due to skiing accident. The details were foggy now, but the important part was that it was quick and his little brother had died doing what he loved most.

With a heavy drawn out sigh, Darim had finished his smoke and reached for another, lighting it and once again, relishing in the buzzed out feeling it gave him.

He checked the time on his phone. ‘8:17 p.m.’ it glowed out and a second later something had caught his attention.  His ears picked up sounds of gravel and sand grinding together under a heavy force. And soon enough he saw a pair of headlights not too far off. The driver of said headlights had seemed to have spotted Darim and drove a bit closer. The car, Darim had noticed once the blinding lights were switched off though a row of tiny pearl-like lights remained lit in each headlight, had four connecting silver rings at the edge of the hood which were a dead giveaway to the make and model- an Audi R8. He knew only one person who would own such a sleek, beautiful (and insanely expensive) car.

Darim watched as the driver came out, tapping the ash from his cigarette in hand.

“Fancy seeing you here, Malik” Darim spoke out.

“I was looking for you. What are you doing here anyways?” Malik had asked as he neared the other man, hands wrapped in dark leather gloves to keep the cold at bay.

Darim half turned away and looked out to the dark waters, noting the reflective glow of orange, white and the occasional red flashing lights, “Just needed a quiet place to sort some stuff out and shit...”

Malik was no stranger to finding Darim here. Before it was often with a brown paper bag with cheap liquor or he would be chain smoking until he finished the whole pack. As time went by, though, he seemed to be doing better. Perhaps he had gotten over the death of his little brother or maybe had come to terms that it couldn’t have been avoided.

After finishing his second smoke he flicked the butt on the ground and smeared it with his boot then turned back around to face Malik with a tired expression.

It almost pained Malik to see the young male like this… almost. After the death of his brother, and with family on the other side of the globe (always away on ‘business’) Malik felt it proper to take Darim under his wing albeit he was a grown ass adult. Besides he was basically the same age as Kadar and the two would get along just fine. Malik placed a gloved hand to the side of the man’s face in a comforting manor.

“Let’s go home okay? We’ll have a bowl or two to wind down with some tea or something and watch Netflix. The three of us will just do nothing but chill out,” Malik offered and with a light sigh and a nod, Darim took the offer. There was no use dwelling in the past as it only made hearts ache and souls soar with grief.

“Good, I’ll see you home” and with a light reassuring squeeze to his shoulder, Malik let go and watched Darim get in his car and drive off into the night.

‘He has come a long way, I’ll give him that.’ Malik thought to himself before following suit. He started his car and with a low growl it came to life and he knew that both man and machine were long due for some TLC.


End file.
